A Fundraising Model for Campus Ministry

Robert Hay, Jr.Senior Ministry Relations Officer

Presbyterian Foundation

Why do people give?

• Belief in the mission• High regard for the staff• Belief that the organization is being fiscally responsible• Because they are asked

Why do people stop giving (or not give at all)?

• Loss of a personal connection with the organization• Supporting other causes • The mission is no longer relevant to them• Organization is not meeting its mission

Impact on Campus Ministry

• Need to be able to clearly define your mission and communicate that you are meeting your mission

• Campus Minister needs to build relationships with supporters• Be good stewards of all funds• Get comfortable asking and thanking

Fundraising cycle

Identification

Cultivation

Solicitation

Recognition

Fundraising basics

• Relationships• Sharing your mission through stories• Inviting and Asking• Thanking and Recognizing• Transparency in reporting

Development

• Mission statement– need a statement that you and the board know and live in to– What is it that you are providing to students in your context?

Development

• Stories– Need stories to share– Supporters want to know the differences you are making in the lives

of college students– Routinely solicit stories from your students about how the ministry is

impacting them and ask for permission to use the stories

Development

• Elevator speech– 30 seconds– What you do and the difference your ministry is making in your

context– Campus Minister and board members need to know this and be

able to share it with anyone at any time

Development

• Asking and Inviting– Supporters want to be asked– They want to feel as if their support makes a difference– Invite them to join in your ministry and be a partner with you in

making positive changes in the lives of the students

Development

• Thank and Recognize– Always say thank you– Even if they choose not to give, thank them for prayerfully

considering it– Hand-written thank you notes by campus minister, students, and

the board

Development

• Transparency– Need to be able to provide a clear understanding of how money is

used– Connect the money to the mission and show how money is making a

difference in student’s lives– Narrative budget as part of your annual report

Development

• Team approach– Campus Minister as Chief Development Officer

• Face of the organization• Story teller• Coordinator• Primary relationship with donors

– Board/Committee• “Connectors” and “Influencers”• Write thank you notes and send appeal letters• Host meetings between prospective supporters and Campus

Minister• Development staff for the organization

Board member development

• Charter- have a board member charter that outlines roles/responsibilities/expectations

• Passion- board members must be passionate about Campus Ministry and have “buy in” of the mission

• Leaders- board members should be leaders in their churches and in the community; looking for “influencers”, “connectors”, and “decision makers”

Board member development

• Vision/Policy setting: board (with leadership from the campus minister and input from the students) should be setting the vision and policies for the campus ministry and leave implementation/operations up to the campus minister

Board member development

• Donors- Board members MUST be donors– Requirement for minimum amount they should give OR– Make a “personally significant gift” OR– “Give or Get” policy

• Fundraising should be primary focus of the Board- Should be the development staff of the organization

Constituents

Local ChurchesHome Churches

Alumni Community Friends

Denominational partners

Alumni

• Build a database– Go through old records (let students help you)– Create alumni Facebook group– Use social media to get in touch with former alumni and get their

contact information

Alumni

• Be intentional at graduation– Give them a gift at graduation– Write them an individualized letter wishing them well and include a

pledge card– Start easy, ask for $10/month

Alumni

• Annual alumni event– Around some other natural time that alums would come back to

campus (homecoming, football game, graduation, etc.)– Time of fellowship to catch up with old friends– Invite former campus ministers– Create an alumni “award” and give annually– Make sure to use this event as an opportunity to hand out pledge

cards/envelopes

Alumni

• Regular contact via newsletters/social media– Keep alumni updated with social media status updates– Send them newsletters regularly (electronic, preferred)– Annually send them an update on how the year went with an “ask”

for support

Community Friends

• List of ways they can help you– Financially– Bring meals– Adopt a student– Mentor a student– Lead worship– Drive students to church– Provide housing for students during breaks

Community Friends

• Annual “Thank You” event– Invite everyone who has provided any type of support to attend– RSVPs– Students plan and execute (maybe even cook)– Entertainment/program

• Music, stories from the year, worship– Consider creating a Community Friend annual award and presenting

it– Say THANK YOU!!!

Community Friends

• Ongoing communication– Email and electronic newsletters– Create a “friends” committee and have them organize themselves

and create their own communication protocols– Annual thank you letter and ask

Local Churches

• List of ways they can help you– Financially– Bring meals– Adopt a student– Mentor a student– Lead worship– Drive students to church– Provide housing for students during breaks– Encourage student participation at church (choir, volunteer advisor,

etc.)

Local Churches

• Church partnership agreements– Financial support– Programmatic support– Space provided– Appointed spot on board– Worship participation/leadership (students and campus minister)

Local Churches

• Annual “Thank You” event– Invite each church that has provided support– RSVPs– Students plan and execute (maybe even cook)– Entertainment/program

• Music, stories from the year, worship– Consider creating a church annual award and presenting it– Say THANK YOU!!!

Local Churches

• Ongoing communication– Regular relationship meetings with leadership of church (Pastor,

committee chair, influential church member, etc.)– Make sure to identify a point person for all communication to flow

through– Email and electronic newsletter– Annual thank you letter and ask

Denominational Partners

• Mid-councils/governing bodies of denominations• Identify the “influencers” and the “connectors” and the “decision

makers” • Build relationships with all of these people

– Call them for “advice” and seek their “guidance”– Get to know them and let them get to know you and your passion for

Campus Ministry– Make sure some of your key board members know them and build

relationships

Denominational Partners

• Invite them to attend your board meetings “ex officio” and give a state of the presbytery address to your board

• Follow all of their procedures for grant requests and turn in your requests early

• Seek their guidance on how best to make the request• Constantly tell them thank you and how important their support is

Denominational Partners

• Make sure your Local Church partner leaders are aware of your relationship with the denomination; good and bad. Ask that they remain a constant advocate for your campus ministry.

• Invite them to the annual Thank You event• Make sure they receive all of the newsletter correspondence

Home Churches

• Letter to session and pastor– Church home away from home– List ways they can support their students:

• Care packages• Cards/letters of encouragement• Assign deacon to pray for them and keep in touch with them• Organize gatherings of college students for fellowship during

school breaks• Attend Pastor/Student day• Financial support

Home Churches

• Financial Support– Talk about what you provide to students; meals, worship,

fellowship, mission, safe space, pastoral care, etc. at no cost to student

– Ask about a scholarship fund and inquire if it can be used to help support a church member’s campus ministry

– Ask for the church to consider making campus ministry a line item in their mission budget or even better in their education ministry budget and encourage them to send money to all of the campus ministries where they have students

Home Churches

• Note from student

– Ask each student to write a letter to their home church thanking the church for all they have done in raising them

– State that they have found their “church home away from home” and that the campus ministry is helping to nurture them and support them while they are away from home

– “Please consider supporting me while I am away at college through prayer, care packages, and consider supporting my campus ministry financially”

How do we do this?

Identification

Cultivation

Solicitation

Recognition

Annual Calendar for Fundraising

• See Sample Annual Calendar• Create your own Annual Calendar• Share it with your Board• Campus Minister and Board hold each other accountable to it

Tools

• Database- need a way to manage constituents, track relationships, giving history, and a way to segment out different groups for different solicitations– Excel– GiftWorks– eTapestry

Tools

• Electronic Giving- Need to be able to accept all forms of donations– Ministry Partnership Program of Presbyterian Foundation– www.presbyterianfoundation.org/onlinegiving

Tools

• Electronic Newsletters– www.mailchimp.com– www.constantcontact.com– www.verticalresponse.com

• Social Media– Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn

• Stationery– Custom thank you cards

Fundraising 201

• Endowments• Wills emphasis• Planned Giving• Major donors

Call your Presbyterian Foundation MRO for help!

Checklist

üMission statement clarityüGet your Board “on board” with fundraisingüCreate an Annual CalendarüCreate lists of your constituentsüEngage your constituents through relationships, stories, and activitiesüASKüTHANK

Help?

Robert Hay, Jr.

Senior Ministry Relations OfficerPresbyterian Foundation

1-855-514-3152

robert.hay@presbyterianfoundation.org

Find Your MRO:www.presbyterianfoundation.org/mro